God has always had an elect people. All of them were chosen in Christ before time began (Eph. 1:3 - 4). This choice of a particular people was according to God's sovereign grace. If God allowed any of His children to contribute one thing to His choice of them (which He would NEVER do), election would not be according to His grace, but according to man's works (Rom. 11:6).
Throughout the history of man there has always been 'a remnant according to the election of grace'. The first two men born in sin, Cain and Abel, demonstrates this God-honoring truth. "... And the Lord had respect unto Abel and to his offering: But unto Cain and his offering he had not respect" (Gen. 4:4 - 5). God had His remnant during the days of Noah. When He brought in the flood upon the ungodly (2 Peter 2:5), He spared only eight people – Noah, his wife, their three sons and their wives (Gen. 7:7; 7:21 - 23). Abram, Sarai and Lot were part of God's remnant in their day. And a very small remnant they were. God called them out of the land of Ur of the Chaldees. They were just as sinful as the rest of the people of that country. But only a select few were called out. Abraham had two sons, Isaac and Ishmael. Isaac was part of God's remnant, a child of promise, but Ishmael was not (Gal. 4:22 - 31). National Israel was chosen by God to picture His church (Deut. 7:6 - 8). But even in the nation of Israel God had His remnant, those He reserved unto Himself. This is the truth the Holy Spirit illustrates, to draw our attention to God's remnant in each generation. The Apostle Paul stated this truth to his generation when he wrote the Book of Romans. In Romans 11:4, Paul quoted the words our Lord Jesus spoke to His prophet, when Elijah thought he was all alone. Our Lord said: 'You're not alone, Elijah.' ".. I have left me (reserved to myself) seven thousand in Israel, all the knees which have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth which hath not kissed him" (1 Kings 19:18). That remnant, during Elijah's day, is the God-honoring truth Paul used to point to God's remnant during his generation. After quoting the words of God to Elijah, Paul said: "Even so then at this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace" (Rom. 11:4 - 5).
God reserves a remnant to Himself in every generation, including the one we are living in today. "At this present time also there is a remnant according to the election of grace." And all of God's enlightened children have this in common. We believe in the Unconditional Electing Grace of God the Father, the Perfect Redeeming Work of Jesus Christ for a Particular People, and the Sovereign Irresistible Drawing Power of God the Holy Spirit when He, at God's appointed time of love, gives life to His chosen, blood-bought people. Like Isaac, we contributed nothing to being a child of promise (Gal. 4:28). We, being 'born again', were adopted into God's family. God Himself predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will (Eph. 1:5). When we heard the word of truth, the gospel of our salvation, we were given faith to trust our Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. That's when we were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance ((Eph. 1:11 - 14; 2:8 - 9). And our Great Triune God has purposed and accomplished this great salvation for this reason:: that His Remnant in every generation would receive the Spirit of adoption, and be "To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved" (Eph. 1:5 - 6).